"Hashirama… I have already felt your sincerity."
"This is all for the sake of the Uchiha."
Uchiha Madara's gaze shifted, locking firmly onto Uchiha Makoto standing before him.
The blood feud between the Uchiha and the Senju could not be allowed to continue. For the sake of long-term peace, he had to suppress dissenting voices within his own clan.
Very quickly—
Chakra surged within Madara's body. An indescribable pressure poured down upon Makoto like a mountain.
"Madara-sama, have you forgotten Izuna-sama's dying wish?"
"We were supposed to avenge him—
to take revenge on the Senju clan!"
Facing this overwhelming pressure, Makoto immediately felt as though a massive weight had been placed on his chest. His breathing grew rapid, and without hesitation, he invoked Uchiha Izuna.
Izuna had died by Senju Tobirama's hand.
Even if Madara was willing to abandon his hatred toward Tobirama for Hashirama's sake, no matter what, Izuna would forever remain the unhealed wound in Madara's heart.
The moment Izuna's name was spoken, Madara's expression clearly changed.
In just a few breaths—
Makoto felt the pressure on his body rapidly fade.
It really works!
Uchiha Izuna was a hard counter against Madara—strong enough to weaken even the terrifying influence of the so-called Senju "succubus".
This tool… no, this trump card, absolutely had to be firmly grasped in the future.
Thinking this, Makoto continued to look straight at Madara.
Now was the perfect moment to shape his personal image.
Leaving the Uchiha clan in the future and surviving as a rogue ninja would be extremely difficult. And if he wanted to establish a shinobi village of his own… then later, when Madara led the Uchiha into founding Konoha, he could still exploit his identity to gain leverage within the village.
"Izuna… Izuna, forgive me."
"Hashirama—he was even willing to sacrifice his own life for peace between the Uchiha and the Senju."
"I'm sorry, Izuna… I can't avenge you."
Madara took a deep breath, burying his hatred deep in his heart. His gaze passed over Makoto as he began to address the clan.
"Clan members—Izuna was my dearest brother. He died at the hands of Senju Tobirama. I once swore that I would avenge him, personally tear off Tobirama's head, and offer it at Izuna's grave."
"But now, I have abandoned that vow."
"Because it has no meaning."
"Killing Senju Tobirama will not bring Izuna back. It will only deepen the hatred between the Uchiha and the Senju."
"We have fought for far too long… It is time to bring this to an end."
"Hashirama and I share a dream!"
"One day, in a shinobi village jointly founded by the Uchiha and the Senju, our clansmen will sit together as brothers."
"One day, the Uchiha will change. Even if you oppose my decision now, even if you are filled with doubts—there will come a day when the Senju and Uchiha are as close as blood relatives, advancing hand in hand."
Madara spoke with genuine emotion. His voice was deep, steady, and powerful as he painted a vision of the future for his clansmen—
what could bluntly be called selling a beautiful dream.
Yet this speech, which Makoto found strangely familiar, truly moved the Uchiha present.
The war between the Senju and the Uchiha had gone on for far too long—and had grown increasingly brutal.
So brutal that even children barely a few years old were being forced onto the battlefield.
Children should have grown up carefree, protected by their clans… not died on battlefields.
If hatred continued unchecked, their children would inevitably repeat the same tragedy.
That was something the Uchiha present could not accept.
Endless battles, constant slaughter, and a worsening situation had already planted deep war-weariness in their hearts.
If things could truly turn out as Madara described—
if war could end, and the Uchiha and Senju could coexist peacefully—
Then perhaps… such an outcome wasn't unacceptable after all.
The living still had to look forward.
In an instant, the situation reversed.
Naturally, this was well within Makoto's expectations.
Madara was not only the clan head, but also the strongest Uchiha alive, the undisputed leader recognized by the clan.
Once he made a firm decision, the vast majority of the Uchiha would follow.
Especially under the current circumstances, where the clan was already at a massive disadvantage and had very few viable options left.
Battle reports could lie—but battle lines never did.
The Uchiha's defeat on the frontal battlefield was undeniable. And with Madara himself choosing peace, continuing to resist and pursue revenge against the Senju would only lead to one ending—
Total annihilation.
Hashirama's Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands, and Tobirama's Flying Thunder God Technique, would show no mercy to Uchiha remnants who refused to submit and held no strategic value.
"Madara-sama… it seems your resolve is already firm."
"In that case… about revenge… I can only—"
Makoto wore a conflicted expression. After several rounds of internal struggle, he finally "reluctantly" chose to let go of his hatred toward the Senju.
"But, Madara-sama, I still do not trust the Senju clan."
"To gain absolute trust, you must first be seen as someone's friend. In the end, you must stand behind someone—so that you can stab them in the back when the time comes!"
"There are villains within the Senju!"
"A thousand years of hatred will not disappear so easily!"
Makoto spoke solemnly.
Madara-sama… you really die a miserable death in the future.
First, Hashirama quietly comes up behind you and stabs you through the heart.
Later, Black Zetsu does the same thing.
You could say this is my subtle warning to you.
Of course, Makoto wasn't referring to Hashirama.
Hashirama could genuinely be called a friend, and the Uchiha could indeed gain his trust. As for him stabbing Madara in the back later—that was practically mutual consent.
You could even say it was a strange way for Madara and Hashirama to deepen their bond.
But the Senju had a villain among them.
And who was that villain?
The answer was obvious—
Senju Tobirama.
That inherently suspicious old Senju—
a cockroach lurking in the shadows—who would forever doubt the Uchiha and harbor ill intentions toward them.
In Tobirama's view, the Uchiha were a deeply flawed clan.
The evolution of the Sharingan required chakra born from extreme emotions. That meant the stronger an Uchiha became, the more likely they were to fall into extremism—and the more extreme they were, the stronger they became.
If such Uchiha were not properly guided, they could easily become dangers within the village itself.
Such Uchiha had to be strictly monitored—
and constantly doubted.
Senju Tobirama would always be searching for opportunities, using the Flying Thunder God Technique to appear behind such Uchiha, marking them with a seal—
And when the time came,
delivering a fatal strike without hesitation.